The Directorate General of Civil Aviation grounded four Learjet aircraft operated by VSR Ventures on Tuesday after a special safety audit revealed multiple non-compliances following the January 28 crash that killed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
The aviation regulator ordered the immediate grounding of Learjet 40/45 aircraft bearing registration numbers VT-VRA, VT-VRS, VT-VRV, and VT-TRI until the operator restores the continued airworthiness standards. The multi-disciplinary audit team found violations in airworthiness, air safety, and flight operations areas.
What did DGCA say?
“Following the accident of LearJet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) of M/s VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd on 28.01.2026 at Baramati, the DGCA ordered the special safety audit of the organisation,” the regulator said, adding, “In view of the non-compliances observed and considering the gaps in maintenance procedures, it is decided to initiate the corrective measures by immediately grounding four aircraft.”
The special audit, which began on February 4, examined VSR Ventures’ regulatory compliance, operational control systems, maintenance practices, crew training standards, and safety management systems.
The January 28 accident occurred when Pawar’s Learjet 45 aircraft crashed during a second landing attempt at Baramati Airport in poor visibility conditions. All five people on board, including pilot Sumit Kapur, co-pilot Shambhavi Pathak, personal security officer Vidip Jadhav, and flight attendant Pinky Mali, died in the crash.
About VSR Ventures
VSR Ventures, a Delhi-based non-scheduled operator, operates a fleet of 17 aircraft, including seven Learjet 45s, five Embraer 135BJ aircraft, four King Air B200s, and one Pilatus PC-12. The company had been audited by DGCA in February 2025 with no major findings.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had previously suspended VSR Ventures’ Third Country Operator authorisation after the company failed to respond to queries about a September 14, 2023, Learjet 45 incident. The suspension prevented the operator from conducting commercial flights in EU airspace.